Cellar making lounge cold!

[WabbitPoo]

Got a call today from a friend who is renovating a victorian property. She asked me what the best way is of insulating the floorboarded lounge from the draughts from the cellar directly underneath. Other than a a thick carpet and underlay, what else ight she do? Can she pin insulation under the floor from below, supporting it with say, a vapour barrier?

 

[diyisfree]

6mm Ply screwed to the floor will help with drafts. Makes a nice even floor as well ready for the carpet.

 

[JohnD]

She could also fasten rigid insulating board to the underside of the joists. It does not have to be as thick as roof insulation, because heat rises so ceiling lose more.
Drafts will have to be blocked. You can use fibreglass as in lofts, but have to support it with netting or something.

 

[joronto]

If she's refurbishing the house anyway, why not waterproof and insulate the basement floor and walls to provide habitable accommodation?

 

[WabbitPoo]

Great replies, all. Not sure she is up to having the cellar sorted out "properly" right now. I will pass your splendid answers onto her. Thanks a lot.

 

[xposis]

best thing you can do with most victorian cellars is leave them alone. The cost doesn't justify it outside london.

If shes really going to do a nice job on the place.

1. take up the old bords over the cellar.

2. Drop the joists by 1/2" + damp proof

3. Lay a New 1/2" chip board floor.

4. Pop back the existing boards, Sand and wax / varnish

5. In the cellar if its plastered as most are or just lime washed. Patch it with lime plaster and 4 coats of lime wash. It'll be good for the next 100 years.

No drafts. Nice wooden floor and a great place to shash your vino tinto next time you go to france.

 

[Frederick]

best thing you can do with most victorian cellars is leave them alone. The cost doesn't justify it outside london.

I think you'll find that cellar conversions produce a positive return on most houses with decent cellars in SE England. My sister lives in Portsmouth and spent £25,000 having her cellar converted and according to her local estate agent it has added at least £40,000 to the value of her house. Most decent Victorian terraces go for between £250,000 and £350,000 in the South East so adding an extra room or two is obviously going to add a fair bit to the value.

In parts of London people are even producing positive investment returns by building cellars underneath houses that didn't originally have a cellar. Spending £250,000 on this sort of work isn't a problem if it adds £500,000 the cost of a Mayfair town house.

 

[Poolio90]

Beware boarding up the joists from underneath, they generally need air to circulate around them to stop damp / rot.
I've wedged a load of rolls of loft insulation rolls between the floor joists, and they're held in place with a combination of chicken wire, thin batons and string. And it's made a real difference.
Also if she wants to keep the original floor on display, she might want to sand the floor, keep the sawdust, mix it with PVA glue and fill in any gaps between the boards, makes it draught proof.
That should make quite a difference...
JP